From Best-in-Show to Top 50 Wines of the World

St. Andrea stands at the forefront of the Bull’s Blood renaissance, winning Decanter’s Best-in-Show and being awarded Top 50 Wines of the World.

The Family Legacy

St. Andrea’s story is one that spans over two decades. Dr. György Lőrincz founded the estate in the early 2000s, proudly naming it after his wife Andrea. He began in 1999 with just 1.5 hectares, and by 2002 had devoted himself fully to the new winery, which grew rapidly from a small endeavour into one of Eger’s leading wine estates. Today, the Lőrincz family farms roughly 45 - 50 hectares across several prime vineyards in Eger. The winery’s rise has been meteoric: over the years Dr. Lőrincz earned major accolades (including “Winemaker of the Year” in 2009) and St. Andrea amassed virtually every Hungarian wine award. By 2025 the Ministry of Agriculture named St. Andrea “Winery of the Year” in Hungary, recognising its long-standing excellence and multigenerational legacy.

What makes St. Andrea especially unique is its multigenerational character. György Lőrincz Sr. remains the guiding figure in the cellar, but his son, György Lőrincz Jr., has joined him in shaping the estate’s future. György Jr. trained in viticulture and oenology (with winemaking stints from Tokaj to New Zealand) before returning home to Eger. He now oversees the vineyards and viticulture, applying fresh ideas to complement his father’s experience.

(Image credit: Neighbor / neighbor.wine)

Terroir and Tradition                                       

The Eger region in northeastern Hungary provides the dramatic backdrop and literal ground for St. Andrea’s wines. Vineyards spread around the town of Eger, and its villages are rooted in diverse soils. Much of the area consists of volcanic rhyolite tuff – porous, mineral-rich rock that underlies Eger’s hills and even the cellars carved into. These tuff-based soils, often layered with clay, contribute to the distinctive Eger character – wines with firm structure, spicy minerality, and lively acidity. In contrast to the loess-rich soils of Szekszárd (the only other region permitted to produce Bikavér), which yield plush, velvety reds, Eger’s volcanic terroir tends to produce more robust and energetic wines with a rustic edge.

The crown jewel is the Nagy-Eged Hill, soaring to 500 metres elevation. Here, marine limestone soils instead of volcanic tuff impart refined structure and elegant acidity to the wines. Several of St. Andrea’s top cuvées hail from Nagy-Eged’s slopes, tapping its unique calcareous minerality.

St. Andrea’s philosophy is firmly rooted in the traditions of Eger. Historically, this region earned fame for its blends – most famously Egri Bikavér (Bull’s Blood) – rather than single varietal wines. Dr. Lőrincz has embraced that legacy of blending as a path to express complexity and terroir: “if more varieties are in a wine that gives it a wider spectrum…for us in Eger this blended winemaking is given, therefore I have to follow this way and improve it year on year”. 

The A Flagship White, Mária.

Among St. Andrea’s most revered wines is Mária, the highest tier white blend that exemplifies the winery’s artistry with Egrian terroir. Mária (named after the Virgin Mary) is often considered the estate’s flagship white. It is a Grand Superior Egri cuvée sourced from the prized Nagy-Eged Hill vineyard, where vines cling to limestone-rich soils high above 300 metres. The exact blend can vary by vintage, but in recent years Chardonnay and Furmint form the core, sometimes with a dash of other grapes like Sauvignon Blanc. All grapes are hand-picked at optimal ripeness from select parcels on the slope.

What makes Mária exceptional is its marriage of richness and minerality. The winemaking draws on both modern technique and Burgundian inspiration to craft a white of depth and elegance. After gentle pressing, the juice ferments and ages in oak – often 10 months in new French barrels for a portion of the wine – gaining creamy texture and sweet spice nuances. The result is a serious, age-worthy white blend frequently compared to fine Burgundy in style.

In the glass, Mária offers beguiling aromas of tropical and stone fruits (mango, pineapple, peach), with floral and honeyed notes emerging as it breathes. On the palate it balances ripe fruit flavours (quince, apricot, citrus) against a backbone of vibrant acidity and salty minerality. A plush, almost creamy mouthfeel from the barrel aging is cut by that zesty acidity, keeping the wine precise and lively. The finish is long and layered with hints of oak spice and wet stone lingering long after the last sip.

Bull’s Blood Reborn, Egri Bikavér.

No discussion of St. Andrea would be complete without Egri Bikavér, the legendary red Bull’s Blood blend that is the heart of Eger’s wine tradition.

St. Andrea produces several Egri Bikavérs at different quality levels, and they have played a leading role in the revival of Bikavér from its post-Communist slump to world-class esteem. During the Communist era, Egri Bikavér’s reputation suffered as it became a mass-produced table wine. However, over the last two decades, quality-focused winemakers like Dr. Lőrincz have restored its glory, turning Bikavér into a nuanced, premium blend that expresses Eger’s terroir with pride.

By regulation, Egri Bikavér must be a blend of at least three grapes, and the backbone is always the indigenous Kékfrankos. A dozen other grapes are permitted in the blend but no single grape may dominate over 50%, ensuring a true blend where harmony is key.

The estate’s range showcases distinctive styles of Bikavér: for example, Áldás is a velvety, approachable Bull’s Blood aged in older oak, whereas single-vineyard Grand Superior bottlings like Nagy-Eged Bikavér capture the specific terroir of those sites, with more intensity and aging potential. There is also Merengő, a Bikavér often regarded as the winery’s flagship red; and in exceptional years great cuvées like the Agapé are made to highlight the absolute best barrels.

St. Andrea’s top Bikavérs are built to age, evolving more harmony and bouquet over time. The winery’s meticulous oak regime – often aging the Bull’s Blood blends in 225L barriques and larger 500L casks for 12-18 months – adds polish without overwhelming the fruit. Each bottle is a blend of plots and varieties, yet somehow the Eger terroir sings clearly through them.

Reputation and Reach

Within Hungary, St. Andrea’s wines have achieved an iconic status and are considered benchmark examples of their styles. Demand often outstrips supply, especially for the top cuvées and it’s not just critics lavishing praise – Hungarian wine lovers consistently rank St. Andrea among the country’s best producers.

St. Andrea Winery represents the best of Hungarian wine today, steeped in tradition, sustained by faith and family, and delivering wines of unmistakable character to the world.